Daniel Webster Burke (April 22, 1841 – May 29, 1911) was an American soldier who fought in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Burke received the country's highest award for bravery during combat, the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

, for his action during the

Battle of Shepherdstown The Battle of Shepherdstown, also known as the Battle of Boteler's Ford, took place September 19–20, 1862, at Boteler's Ford along the Potomac River, during the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. After the Battle of Antietam on S ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

on 20 September 1862. He was honored with the award on 21 April 1892.

Biography

Burke was born in

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

on 22 April 1841. He enlisted into the Army from Connecticut in June 1858. On 20 September 1862 Burke's unit had retreated across the Potomac during the

. Upon learning that a piece of artillery remained unspiked and accessible to the enemy, Burke returned in order to spike the gun. Although prevented from successfully completing this task due to heavy fire, Burke was awarded the Medal of Honor for this display of bravery. Burke was subsequently commissioned a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in 1862 with the date of rank being 18 July 1862 and then

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

in July 1863. At the time of his retirement from the army on 21 October 1899 he was a brigadier general. He died on 29 May 1911 and his remains are interred at the

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

Medal of Honor citation

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, Daniel W. 1841 births 1911 deaths People of Connecticut in the American Civil War Union Army officers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor Military personnel from Connecticut

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References